CIC and LSU Health Shreveport partner at cyber center to advance research for disaster preparedness

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, La. — The Cyber Innovation Center (CIC) and LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) are partnering to advance research capability at the cyber center for the state of Louisiana.

This new endeavor sees CIC providing data center space to LSUHS to house a key portion of their high-powered computing capability to bolster their data analytics and research capacity. The move comes as LSUHS is embarking on the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Pilot program, a federally directed initiative designed to strengthen the nation's ability to respond to large-scale disasters, public health emergencies, and other catastrophic events. LSUHS was one of one eight sites across the U.S. selected for the program.

"This new partnership will strengthen bonds within the local community by supporting LSUHS's cutting-edge medical research," said Kevin Nolten, CIC president. "It fully aligns with our focus on national security, cybersecurity and regional economic development while proving groundbreaking innovations for our nation can be achieved right here in Shreveport-Bossier.”

“LSUHS is grateful to have access to the highest level of data security through a partnership with the CIC. When considering the increasingly rigorous standards for research security and the frequency of breech attempts, it was imperative to identify a timely and cost-effective solution,” stated Dr. Lester Johnson, Senior Vice Chancellor for LSUHS.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) commended the collaboration, saying LSUHS and the CIC are critical in the work they do to support the Shreveport-Bossier community.

“This partnership in North Louisiana builds on the strengths of these two organizations to support medical research and bolster our national security,” Johnson said. “I am proud to represent North Louisiana and am grateful for the innovative and collaborative work being done daily, which not only meets our defense needs but also contributes to our local economy.”

Led by the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, the NDMS pilot program seeks to create a more agile and sustainable partnership between military and civilian healthcare systems. Its goals include evaluating current capabilities, improving future healthcare policies, and developing plans that allow healthcare systems to rapidly expand capacity during major medical surge events.

“The partnership between LSUHS and CIC will allow LSUHS clinical and basic science researchers access to CIC's unique expertise in data security while simultaneously expanding opportunities to pursue research grants that require heightened security measures to assure data integrity for the implementation of advanced analytic strategies," shared John Vanchiere, MD, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research.

"As a site for the NDMS Pilot Program, LSUHS is committed to providing robust data security across its entire research enterprise. Our collaboration with the CIC will ensure that LSUHS can continue to compete in the increasingly complex arena of biomedical research to solve challenging health problems,” Dr. Vanchiere added.

For more information on the NDMS Pilot Program, visit research.lsuhs.edu.

About the Cyber Innovation Center

Cyber Innovation Center (CIC), located in Bossier City, Louisiana, is the anchor of the 3,000-acre National Cyber Research Park and serves as the catalyst for the development and expansion of a knowledge-based workforce throughout the region. As a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation, CIC fosters collaboration among its partners and accelerates technology, research, and development. One of its primary missions is to develop a sustainable knowledge-based workforce that can support the growing needs of government, industry, and academic partners.

ABOUT LSU HEALTH SHREVEPORT

LSU Health Shreveport is one of two health sciences centers of the Louisiana State University (LSU) System and home to the only academic medical center in a 150-mile radius. The primary mission of LSU Health Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover in order to advance the well-being of the state, region and beyond. LSU Health Shreveport encompasses the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Health Professions and Sciences, Graduate Medical Education (GME), and a robust research enterprise. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.